Wayne Easter

[Agriculture, November 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member should go back to the record and look at the minister's previous answers on the cash deposit and he will recognize where that one is at.

In terms of producers, who we recognize are facing financial difficulty, we have made the announcement of September 10, which was to increase our slaughter capacity, and we brought into place a fed cattle and a feeder cattle program so that producers can get better prices out of the marketplace. We have introduced other programs, the cull cow program--

[Agriculture, November 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, if there has ever been a government that has stood with its producers on a tough issue, this is the government that has. Not only have we made 150 interventions with the Americans, with officials and regulatory authorities, we have actually, with the provinces, put $2.3 billion of ad hoc programming on top of the regular safety nets for producers.

We recognize that there is a difficult situation out there and we are working with producers to cure it. We are trying to increase the slaughter capacity. We are trying to improve the market with the fed and feeder set-aside programs and--

[Agriculture, November 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I am very well aware of the issue the hon. member talks about. In fact, I have talked to some of the investors who are involved. CFIA has a job to do and that is the protection of food and safety and the security of food for Canadians and in terms of our exports. It has set up a process in which it will send an expert out to the plant on Monday to try to settle the issues on the ground, but the bottom line has to be the protection of the food and security of Canadians and in terms of our exports around the world.

[Dan MacPherson, November 2nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I want to note before the House the passing of a valued member of our community, Mr. Dan MacPherson. Dan, as stated by a friend, walked the talk in being an active member of his community, his industry, his province and his country. He touched many lives.

I will name just a few of his achievements. He was president of the Prince Edward Island Branch of Holstein Canada, founding member of the Dairy Producers Association, president of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture, founding chair of the Farm Centre, 4-H Club leader, founding member of the P.E.I. 4-H Council and its president, Sunday school teacher and superintendent for 30 years, elder and clerk of session, trustee for the Charlottetown Rural High School, chairman of the Second Queens PC Association, funeral director, and founding member of the Central Queens Funeral Coop.

Dan was a kind and supportive family man who was a good neighbour, a successful businessman, and a man of faith who lived true to his convictions.

[Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Act, November 1st, 2004]

That is not correct. You know better than that.

[Supply, October 28th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Is Benedict Arnold appropriate language in the House? The rhetoric coming from that side is one thing, but that is not proper parliamentary language. This man worked hard for Newfoundland.

[Canadian Heritage Act, October 26th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I understand that this is a technical amendment, moving the Parks Canada Agency under the Department of the Environment.

When the Parks Canada Agency comes under a new department, it may be that the attitude of the Parks Canada Agency will change in some respects and maybe we can get a bit of common sense in that system.

I will give the House an example. Prince Edward Island National Park falls under the Parks Canada Agency. I would encourage anybody to visit the P.E.I. National Park. It is a wonderful place. However, local residents in Prince Edward Island National Park have for generations picked bottles of cranberries. It is part of their culture. In the last three years Parks Canada conservation officers decided that would not be allowed. I can understand not allowing a commercial cranberry grower in there. That makes sense. For individuals who are residents of the area, it makes sense to allow that. Why let those cranberries fall off, rot and waste away?

Does the parliamentary secretary think it makes any sense that individual residents cannot use the park and pick the odd cranberry? There is nothing wrong with that. Might we also have an attitude shift and a bit common sense from Parks Canada now that it is shifting to Environment?

[Canada Shipping Act, October 15th, 2004]

He didn't give you much time.

[Agriculture, October 15th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is certainly getting into hypotheticals and taking the negative approach, like the Conservatives often do.

The minister made a very important announcement on September 10 in which we would maintain trying to get the U.S. border open. We would look at getting new borders open. The minister made an announcement from China the other day in which it would take bull semen, as well as cattle embryos. There will be an announcement coming out of Japan in terms of the slaughter capacity. We have the set aside program, and we are working strenuously to get that slaughter capacity increased.

[Agriculture, October 14th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question and for his interest on behalf of the cut flower producers in Canada.

The fact of the matter is that the United States has slowed down the movement of cut flowers across the border because of its perceived concern over origin, which should not be a concern at all. The CFIA and USDA met on October 7 and they will be meeting this Saturday to try to resolve the issue. We are working on it with the objective of resolving it to the satisfaction of the cut flower producers.